The No. 2 Vineyarders boys tennis team lost 3-2 to the No. 3 Dover-Sherborn Raiders this afternoon, in the semifinals of the MIAA Division III playoffs.
The two evenly matched teams were on a collision course, blowing past all opposition in the first three rounds of the state tournament. Interestingly enough, the Vineyarders and Raiders played each other twice in the regular season, exchanging 5-0 beatings.
In first singles, senior Cape & Islands MVP Jacob Riis won in three sets, and sophomore duo Kyle Levy and Kert Kleeman won second doubles in two sets.
“They played with a lot of heart,” first year head coach Nicole Macy said after Monday’s match. “I’ve loved getting to know them over the last couple months.”
It was the second straight semifinal appearance for the Vineyarders, who lost to reigning state champs Wayland in last year’s Final Four. The boys led MVRHS furthest into the MIAA playoffs of any varsity team on the Vineyard this year.
Despite the loss, MVRHS has a bright future ahead of them, as they are graduating only four seniors, and currently have no juniors on the roster. Smith stated, “The team should be good again next year, and really good the following year, because everybody can play.”
All seven members of the MVRHS starting lineup (Riis, Levy, Kleeman, sophomore Zak Potter, senior Clyde Smith, senior Teagan Myers, and sophomore Caleb Dubin) were named Cape & Islands All-stars this season, and led the Vineyarders to a 14-2 regular season record.